Curated OER
Wired with Alexander Calder
Kids consider how the body functions and moves, how each structure has a specific movement and purpose. They apply that idea as they construct a sculptural piece that moves. For inspiration they look to the work of Alexander Calder,...
Curated OER
Using Lego Dacta to Control a Model of the Millennium Wheel
Students research things that are controlled by computer in their home, school and local area. They design and make toys with moving mechanisms as part of their design technology topic work. Students visit a toy museum or exhibition to...
Starry Night Education
The Year and Seasons
Turn your classroom into a live demonstration of how the earth and sun interact to create the four seasons. Using a globe, a light source, and a series of constellation cards, super scientists discover how the motion of these...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Carbon, Greenhouse Gases, and Climate
Climate models mathematically represent the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land, sun, surface, and ice. Part two in the series of four lessons looks at the role greenhouse gases play in keeping Earth warm and has participants...
Curated OER
Sketching Gadget Anatomy Lab
In this science worksheet, students observe a machine closely from several angles while in operation. Then they identify the elements of machines combined in different gadgets. Students also illustrate how moving parts in machines relate...
Curated OER
Toy Story Statues
Students practice the skill of freezing and holding a still balance in different shapes.
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students get a bugs-eye view of the flower world and find out how seeds are created, how they travel, and how they grow into plants.
Curated OER
Gadget Anatomy
Sure to be a hit with your charges, here is a science lesson that has lots of hands-on activities packed into it. The focus is simple machines, and how they help us perform work. After a discussion and demonstration session, groups of...
Curated OER
Acceleration Lab
Young Einsteins experiment with the acceleration of Hot Wheels™ toy cars down inclined planes at various angles. This classic physics lab activity is thoroughly explained in both a teacher’s guide and a student lab sheet. Science...
Curated OER
On The Light Side
Kindergartners identify different sources of light in a science activity. They view pictures of a flashlight, a match, and a lamp, among others, and color the part of the picture that creates light. A science activity prompts them to...
Science Matters
Wave Watching
Seismologists use the direction and arrival times of p waves and s waves to determine the distance to the source of an earthquake. The engaging lesson has students line up to form human waves. Through different movements when attached,...
Perkins School for the Blind
Capture the Treasure
Did you ever play capture the flag? I did, and it was so much fun! Your learners with special needs, physical handicaps, or visual impairments can play a classic and highly engaging game with a few minor adaptations. The best part is,...
Curated OER
Fraction City
Welcome to Fraction City! This is an incredibly interactive and fun way to teach properties of fractions, and reaches multiple learning styles. Scholars create "blocks" by folding strips of paper in various increments (thirds, fourths,...
Curated OER
Motion Commotion!
Students explore the drawings of Rube Goldberg to design and construct a simple machine. They discuss simple machines, and using various materials and toy parts, design and construct a "Rube Goldberg" style machine to ring a bell.
Curated OER
Michael Jackson's “Beat It” Dance
Looking for a line dance? Look no further. This dance is performed to Michael Jackson's "Beat It". It is comprised of four eight-counts. The moves consist of walking forward, swinging the hips, doing the grapevine, walking backwards, and...
Curated OER
Toys and Forces
Third graders discuss the collection of toys and demonstrate to the class how a given toy moves. They discuss the part of this toy that could be broken or missing to cause the toy not to work. Which parts could be broken and the toy...
Curated OER
Friction: Friend or Foe?
Using a hands-on approach, learners explore the effect of friction on objects. Learners use toy cars, shoes, wood, metal, and more to experiment with the causes and effects of friction. Afterwards, they conduct experiments in which they...
Curated OER
Attack Theatre Movement Lesson: The Toy Shop
Students study even and uneven rhythms in music. They demonstrate slow and fast movements using various body parts and echo clap with their hands. Listening to uneven rhythms of the drum, they skip, jump and hop and simulate toys in a...
Curated OER
Junkyard Wars-Investigating More Electromagnets
Fourth graders conduct an investigation in order to determine a way to change the strength of an electromagnet's magnetic force. After conducting "control" lifts with their electromagnet, groups make initial changes, record data, and...
Curated OER
Moving Objects
Students discover the history of the United States by examining the Great Migration. In this U.S. History lesson, students research the immigration movement on the Internet and complete a worksheet about the large population shift. ...
Curated OER
Straight Line Motion with a Stomper
Learners explore average speed, and graph distances and time. In this speed and velocity lesson students complete a lab then calculate distances, acceleration and velocity and graph the data.
Curated OER
Problems and Solutions in Aircraft Design
Students watch demonstrations of paper folded designs that do and do not fly and discuss their observations. They identify problems that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists face when designing an aircraft, and identify...
Curated OER
Inventing Insects
Students explore the world of insects and discover what it might be like to live like one. They create an insect with physical characteristics and demonstrate how it moves. Students also compare and contrast insects to spiders and how...
Curated OER
Spiders Have Special Characteristics
Students state reasons why spiders are grouped in specific categories, including what distinguishes a spider from an insect. They report on their observations of the spiders. They illustrate their report with drawings in their journals.